If you’re serious about growing your dealership, you’ll want to maximise your profit per customer while minimising your marketing expenses. The good news is that you can do both by just retaining your current customers. We’ll discuss top dealership client retention strategies in this article.
As with any meaningful relationship, cultivating a devoted consumer base may be challenging, and a plethora of factors are at play here. When purchasing an automobile every 3-8 years, the majority of individuals want to at least research their options, especially if their lifestyle has changed over that time.
Send a text when they need you
We understand that, like many older dealerships, you may want to use your phone for…well…phone calls. It hurts to say this, but individuals now a days will most likely no longer answer their phone if they are unaware of who is calling. Therefore, rather than experiencing the frustration of leaving continuous messages on your customer’s voicemail and never receiving a call back, connect them by text messaging instead!
Not only are you more likely to develop that relationship, but you’re also communicating with your customers in a way that many businesses wish they did. You’re suggesting that you’re approachable and willing to assist them with their circumstances.
And we’re not just talking about cold-calling new sales leads. We urge dealers to use a text-first approach to client assistance.
Maintain communication during the ownership period
Successful relationships are those that involve candid and open communication. If you text your customer just when you need something from them (such as their trade-in) or when their vehicle is being recalled, you risk your consumer forgetting who you are and all the wonderful times you’ve had earlier.
It is vital that you stay a recognisable face between service appointments and purchases for months and years. However, if you SMS your consumers excessively, you run the danger of getting stuck on ‘delivered’ eternally.
Encourage your staff to think long term when making decisions.
Dealerships are focused on fulfilling weekly and monthly sales objectives on a daily basis, and this will not change. This may be in contrast to how auto dealers cultivate client loyalty, which involves making decisions that require short-term expenditures in exchange for long-term commitment, such as paying warranty repair expenses or giving a complimentary courtesy car.
The crucial question is how well-managed your dealership is. Are your client loyalty and satisfaction indicators as transparent and as regularly addressed as your sales figures? Are improvements in customer loyalty and happiness recognised, and are declines handled as harshly as month-end sales figures? Is your dealership’s culture oriented around the client experience rather than the month’s sales figures?
You’re certain to recollect moments when you had a poor client experience. According to study, 62% of consumers who have a poor encounter with a business will stop doing business with the company. That is why damage control is crucial.
Express your feelings (in your review responses)
While providing a review-worthy experience at your dealership is vital for any successful relationship, if you do not respond to the review, it is pointless.
You see, by responding to a review, you demonstrate to your customer that their experience was meaningful to you while also strengthening your connection for future opportunities, all while demonstrating to in-market shoppers the level of customer service they can expect when collaborating with your dealership.
Additionally, the words you choose in your review responses are essential, as 71% of purchasers are more likely to make a purchase from a business that responds to their criticism.
Additionally, because your review replies are effectively open love letters to your customers that will be read by everyone, you must make them stand out.
When answering, be genuine, acknowledge their unique experience, refrain from vocally assaulting them if they express something unpleasant, and instead strive to fix the issue via invitation.
When your retention marketing approach is successful, the connection between your dealership and the consumer goes beyond the delivery by giving them with that “new car happy” feeling even after they drive away from the dealership.